Community Equity Assessment
Fernanda Perdomo-Arciniegas │ City of Sunnyvale
Sarah Romano, PhD │ MIG, Inc.
Shakari Byerly, PhD │ EVITARUS
Presentation to City Council | June 16, 2026
2City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Presentation Outline
Community Equity Assessment Background
Methodology and Activities
Emerging Themes and Findings
Preliminary Recommendations
Questions, Feedback and Next Steps
3City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Community Equity
Assessment Background
4City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Background
Equity,
Access, and
Inclusion
(EAI) Council
priority.
SEED* Team
Formed
EAI Office
created
Human
Relations
Commission
created
City Council
approves
Community
Equity
Assessment
(CEA)
Request for
Proposal.
Selection of
MIG as CEA
consultant
CEA
20232021 2022 2024 2025 2026
*Sunnyvale Employees for Equity and Diversity
5City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Methodology and
Activities
6City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 What the City Wanted to Understand
1. Access to services
2. Access across groups
3. Barriers to access
4. Community connection
5. Community priorities
6. Equity improvement strategies
7City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Survey Categories
Inclusivity &
Belonging
Arts, Culture, &
Education
Access to
Public Services
& Amenities
Mobility &
Public Safety
Economic
Security &
Well-being
Equitable
Sunnyvale
8City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Mixed-Methods and Integrated Approach
Quantitative
Community Profile (GIS map)
Resident Survey
(EN-SP-CN)
Qualitative
Informational Interviews (6)
Focus Groups (4) and
Community Conversations (6)
Community Forums (3)
• In-person and virtual
• Spanish and Mandarin live interpretation
• Food and childcare provided
9City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Participation in Activities
400 Survey Respondents
52 Community Forum Participants
61 Focus Group Participants
18 Interviewees
531
10City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Emerging Equity Themes
and Findings
11City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Residents agree that Sunnyvale has many strengths
• Sense of public safety
• Growing investment in services and
amenities (e.g., bike lanes, libraries,
homeless services, etc.)
Residents appreciate Sunnyvale’s:
• Cultural diversity
• Public parks
• Responsive government
• Strong partnerships
12City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Disparities in access and belonging for some groups
• Latinos
• Residents in 94089 and 94085
• Residents with a disability
• Residents without a Bachelor’s
13City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Emerging Equity Themes
Access and Gaps
Connection and Belonging
14City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Access and Gaps
• 51% of residents report ease of access to City services and amenities
• Access is not equal across all communities and varies by:
o income;
o race/ethnicity;
o primary language;
o neighborhood; and
o disability status
15City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 "In general, how easy or difficult is it for you to access Sunnyvale city services and programs?"
16City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Top Access Challenges Highlighted in Survey
Q: Which of the following has had an impact on your difficulty accessing Sunnyvale city services and programs? 45%
30%
21%
20%
19%
4%
1%
26%
1%
<1%
Hours Not Convenient
Did not feel welcome/comfortable
Cost
Transportation
Language
Difficulty using online/digital services
Vision, hearing, or cognitive impairments, or some
other disability or accessibility barrier
Something Else
Unsure/Can’t Recall
None Of The Above
17City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 One in four Latino Residents and Residents with a Disability Have Difficulty Accessing City Services and Programs
Q: In general, how easy or difficult is it for you to access Sunnyvale city services and programs? A number of subgroups are more likely to report that it is difficult for them to access Sunnyvale city services:
43% of Those Whose Home Language is Spanish*
26% of Residents With A Disability Or Special Need *
26% of Latino Residents *
25% of Residents with Household Incomes of $50K or Less * *Subgroup sample size is less than 100.
18City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Language Access
• In interviews, focus groups, community conversations, and community forums, language access emerged as a
more prominent barrier than the survey suggests.
• People noted issues of:
o “language discrimination,” and
o loss of opportunities because information and services were unavailable in their language.
19City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Inadequate Infrastructure and Lack of Programs for
Residents with Disabilities
• Parking
• Sidewalks
• Automated doors
• Dedicated ride share locations
20City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Gaps in Programming and Recreational Opportunities
for Teens
• Teens want places to gather and spend time socializing, especially at night
• Interest in activities tailored to their unique needs and interests, such as extended library hours, teen lounges, and multiuse streets and trails
• Want greater connectedness between "North" and
"South" Sunnyvale
21City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Connection and Belonging
• 61% of Sunnyvale residents report feeling connected and engaged with their communities
• One-third of residents do not feel connected and engaged, including nearly half of all residents who live in 94089 and 94085 zip codes.
22City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 *Subgroup sample size is less than 100.
Nearly Half of Residents Living in 94085 and 94089 Report Not Feeling Connected and Engaged
Percentage Who
Disagree
Residents Overall 32%
Residents Whose Home Language is Hindi* 53%
Residents Living in 94089 and 94085 49%
Black/African American Residents* 45%
Residents Who Are Millennials 41%
Residents with a Disability* 38%
23City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Differing Perceptions of Engagement by Location
“I feel connected and engaged with
my community living in Sunnyvale.”
“I feel comfortable voicing
concerns about Sunnyvale to the
City Council and staff.”
94089 and
94085
↓
49% disagree
94086 and
94087
↓
3% disagree
94086
and 94087
↓
10% disagree
94089 and
94085
↓
25% disagree
24City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Residents’ Feedback
• Lack of walkable communities
• Insufficient access to public transportation
• Limited retail options
• Need for low-cost childcare, free school lunches, and afterschool programs
• Impending loss of grocery stores
25City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Residents with Disabilities Do Not Always Feel Included Disabled residents do not always feel safe,
comfortable, and/or accepted in public and
community-based settings and want greater public
responsiveness to their needs.
26City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Preliminary
Recommendations
27City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 • Expand free, low-cost, and sliding-scale programs to improve affordability and access.
• Offer activities and services at varied times to accommodate diverse schedules.
• Continue expansion of neighborhood-level access through mobile services and pop-up events.
• Continue to implement pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure to create more accessible transportation options
• Develop Language Access Policy with clear standards for City translation and interpretation services.
Access and Gap Recommendations
28City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Access and Gap Recommendations
• Expand teen recreation and social opportunities, including safe evening activities and teen-centered programming.
• Increase flexible-use spaces for youth activities and community gathering.
• Increase awareness of tenant legal aid and community support services.
• Continue investing in and supporting affordable housing development and infrastructural improvements.
29City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Connection and Belonging Recommendations
• Ensure social media posts are representative of the full diversity of the community.
• Expand cultural celebrations, public art, bilingual programs, and community-based cultural activities.
• Continue to leverage the Teen Advisory Committee,
Advisory Committee on Accessibility, Human Relations Committee, etc. to support outreach, community engagement, and relationship- building efforts.
30City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Next Steps, Questions &
Feedback
31City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 • Final Report—
August 11, 2026
• EAI Strategic Plan—
Spring 2027
Next Steps
32City of Sunnyvale – Community Equity Assessment – June 2026 Feedback and Council Questions
• Are there any areas of concern that were not addressed based on Council’s experience?
• Where does Council see a need for improvement in access to City services?
• Does the assessment findings align with what Council is hearing from the community?
• Are there additional recommendations Council would like to see?